American Revolution in Massachusetts

The return to Boston was a long and bloody trek, with numerous skirmishes breaking out along the way. An ever-growing number of militiamen and other colonists continually fired upon retreating British forces that would occasionally outflank and fire their canons on the now openly-rebellious people of Massachusetts.

The British soldiers finally reached the relative safety of Charlestown at around midnight, and the militiamen were ordered to withdraw into Cambridge. By morning nearly 15,000 militiamen from all over New England had arrived and formed a line extending from Chelsea to Roxbury. Boston was effectively surrounded: the Siege of Boston had begun.

Map showing British retreat to Boston on April 19, 1775 (National Park Service)